title: F-18 FLT PET: a noninvasive diagnostic tool for visualization of the bone marrow compartment in patients with aplastic anemia: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A discordant relationship between bone marrow cellularity and peripheral blood findings is regularly noticed in patients with aplastic anemia (AA). Therefore, the feasibility of 3-F-18 fluoro-3-deoxy-L-thymidine (F-18 FLT PET was tested as a noninvasive tool to visualize the total distribution of the hematopoietic bone marrow compartment in AA at presentation or after treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vivo scanning was performed with F-18 FLT PET in AA patients (n = 17), including patients upfront (n = 11) and following treatment (n = 6), in addition to peripheral blood cell counts and a bone marrow biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A striking abnormal F-18 FLT scan was observed in all patients upfront treatment, in particular a reduced uptake of the pelvis was shown, the area that is biopsied for the bone marrow biopsy. Following treatment, the number of solitary lesions with increased proliferative activity outside the pelvis was noticed in patients with partial response, whereas patients with a complete remission showed a homogenous uptake throughout the skeleton.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study demonstrates that F-18 FLT scan provides a highly distinctive overview of the bone marrow compartment in AA that might be helpful for making a proper diagnosis and monitoring treatment response of AA patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agool
authors.forename: Riemer H J A
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Slart
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kluin
authors.forename: Joost Th M
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: de Wolf
authors.forename: Rudi A J O
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dierckx
authors.forename: Edo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vellenga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; C002854:alovudine